Soap press



C. ROMA, JR

SOAP PRESS Filed Feb. 14, 1949 Hill HHIHHIIIIIIHHHT W 48 44 50 Inventor y @0414 I I a E6 Attorne Patented July 3, 1951 [TED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOAP PRESS Charles Roma, Jr., Talladega, Ala.

Application February 14, 1949, Serial No. 76,216

This invention relates to a soap press and has for its primary object to compress chips of soap into a compact, large cake in an efficient and convenient manner, so that pieces of soap, which are normally wasted, can be brought together to form one usable cake.

A meritorious feature of this invention resides in the provision of a sectional casing, adapted to be positioned on a vertical support, the lower part of the casing serving as a container for bits of soap and as a fixed member of the press, a movable member being carried by the upper portion of the casing and having means for urging the same downwardly in pressing contact with the chips or bits of soap retained in the bottom.

Another meritorious feature of this invention resides in the provision of a hinged bottom for the lower portion of the casing, latch means being provided for retaining the same in a normally closed position, where it functions as a fixed member of the press, the bottom when open functioning as a discharge point for the pressed cake of soap.

Another meritorious feature of this invention resides in the provision of actuating means for urging the movable press downwardly and guide means for maintaining the same in a proper pressing position.

These and ancillary objects and additional meritorious structure features are attained by this invention, a preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevationalview of a soap press, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, and,

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on line 3 3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, this invention generally designated by the character reference 6 6 includes a sectional housing l2 having a lower section. 14 and an upper section it hinged as at 58 thereto. The lower section l4 comprises opposed end walls 29 and 22 and parallel longitudinally extending side walls 24 and 25 integrally connected thereto. The end walls 20 and 22 project rearwardly of the back wall 28 and terminate in lateral ends 28 and 30 which extend in opposite directions and are suitably apertured for receiving conventional fastening members 32, whereby the same may be secured to a vertical support, such as a wall or the like.

2 Claims. (Q1. 257) A bottom wall 32 is hingedly secured to the side wall 26 as at 34 and an annular flange 35 is formed on the free unattached end thereof.

,The flange 36 extends beyond the lower edge of the front wall l4, when the bottom wall is in a closed position, as seen in Figure 2, andis adapted to be engaged by a spring clasp 38, looking the bottom wall or plate in a closed position.

The upper section [6 of the casing is substantially dome-shaped and is formed at its front wall with an extending lip 40, the latter being adapted for locking disposition in a spring latch 42 carried by the front wall [4 of the bottom half or section of the casing. A transverse partition si l is formed at the bottom of the top section and, when the top section is seated on the bottom section, forms a centrally disposed partition wall between the top and lower sections. Upright tubes or sleeves 46 are formed in a rectangular fashion on the partition 44 and a central aperture 48 is formed therebetween. A pressing plate or follower member 50 is horizontally disposed within the lower section of the casing and is formed with an upright rack bar 52 which extends through the opening 48 in the partition. Guide pins 54 extend upwardly from the follower member 50 and are slidably disposed within the sleeves 46. A shaft 56 is rotatably journaled in the end walls of the upper section of the casing, the shaft having its inner end journaled in a bearing support 58 formed on the inner face of one of the side walls and a slidably disposed stop member 62 being positioned on the shaft. A gear 64 is fixed on the shaft and is disposed in intermeshing relation with the rack bar 52. A crank 66 is formed on the extending end of the shaft, whereby rotation may be imparted to the shaft for reciprocating the follower member 50 in a rectilinear vertical path.

It can be seen that the top section of the casing may be swung upwardly and outwardly on its hinge, after the latch Ml and 42 is disengaged. Chips and bits of soap may then be disposed in the bottom section of the casing and the shaft rotated to press the follower member downwardly upon the chips. The chips will then be compressed between the follower member 50 and the bottom wall to form a cake. The bottom wall can then be swung downwardly, after disengaging the catch 38, to allow the cake to fall downwardly from the casing.

However, while one embodiment of this invention has been shown, it is to be understood that certain other embodiments can be carried out,

as coming within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A soap press comprising a casing having upper and lower hinged sections, said lower section defining a chamber for soap scraps and being formed with an open upper end, a swinging bottom wall on said lower section, means for locking the same in a closed position on the lower section, a partition formed horizontally atv the bottom of the upper section, a follower memberhorizontally disposed in the lower section, means for pressing said follower member relative to the bottom wall of the lower section, guide means for said follower member,- said guide means including sleeves vertically projecting from said partition and guide pins extending vertically from said follower member and slidably mounted in the sleeves, said pressing means ineluding an upright rack bar carried by said follower member and slidably disposed through the partition, an operating shaft rotatably journaled in the upper section, and a gear fixed on said shaft and disposed in intermeshing relation with the rack bar.

2. A soap press comprising a casing having 4 upper and lower hinged sections, said lower section defining a chamber for soap scraps and being formed with an open upper end, a swinging bottom wall on said lower section, means for locking the same in a closed position on the lower section, a partition formed horizontally at the bottom of the upper section, a follower member horizontally disposed in the lower section, means for pressing said follower member relative to the bottom wall of the lower section, guide means for said follower member, said guide means from said partition and guide pins vertically extending from said follower member and slidably mounted in the sleeves.

CHARLES ROMA, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS including sleeves vertically projecting 

